9 killed in hate crime as gunman opens fire at African-American church in US

Washington: At least nine people were killed in a shooting at a historic African-American church in US' South Carolina state.The shooting took place on Wednesday night at Charleston city's Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, the

Washington: At least nine people were killed in a shooting at a historic African-American church in US' South Carolina state.

The shooting took place on Wednesday night at Charleston city's Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, the oldest African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church in the South Carolina.

The shooter is still at large. Police, however, have not said about the number of people been shot.

"It's really bad. It's a very bad scene," pastor Thomas Dixon said.

"Apparently the person just entered the church and opened fire. That part has not been fully articulated on what happened yet ... they are still looking for the suspect."

Police said the suspect in the shooting is a clean-shaven white man in his 20s, with a slender build.

He was wearing a grey sweatshirt, blue jeans and boots.

The Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church was formed in 1816 when African-American members of the Charleston's Methodist Episcopal Church formed their own congregation after a dispute over burial grounds.

Every Wednesday evening, the church holds a Bible study in its basement.